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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Nino Bucci and Catie McLeod

Suspected Porepunkah gunman Dezi Freeman had deteriorating mental health and a black belt in karate, former friend says

A police helicopter lands at an operations centre at Feathertop Winery, just north of Porepunkah
A police helicopter lands at an operations centre just north of Porepunkah on Saturday. As the manhunt continues for Dezi Freeman, who is accused of killing two Victoria police officers, a former friend says the alleged gunman had deteriorating mental health and issues with authority. Photograph: Stuart Walmsley/The Guardian

The suspected Porepunkah gunman has a black belt in karate and is an expert bowhunter, according to a man who has known him since the 1990s.

On the fifth day of the manhunt for Dezi Freeman, a former friend has questioned whether police were aware of his deteriorating mental health, suggesting that sending 10 officers to his door to execute a warrant would have been “the worst thing for him”.

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